Lukas Dhont

Lukas Dhont's teenage years were marked by the discovery of Gregg Araki, Christophe Honoré, Xavier Dolan and horror films. Inspired by his film-loving mother who was also a fashion teacher, Dhont developed a keen eye for film. In 2018, at just 26 years of age, the young Belgian filmmaker, who had previously made two short films (L'Infini and Corps perdus) and worked as a director of photography and editor, created a sensation at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. With Girl, his first feature film, an introspective portrait of a young trans teenager in the world of classical dance, played by the dazzling Victor Polster, Lukas Dhont shifted the representations by offering his character an environment of astonishing benevolence and gentleness, turning the conflict that drives her into an inner struggle. Presented at Un Certain Regard, Girl won the prestigious Caméra d'Or and Queer Palm awards, as well as an acting award for its young actor. Four years later, it was with Close, a sensitive and impressionistic evocation of a friendship sadly amputated by homophobia, this time screened in Official Competition, that this former graduate in audiovisual arts from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent impressed the Cannes jury. The film won the Grand Prix. In just two feature-length films, Lukas Dhont has already mapped out a virtuoso and fascinating filmography that is deeply concerned with the issue of LGBTQI+ representation on screen.

Photo by Mayli Sterkendries.